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Friday dilemma: is it rude to take my own meat to a BBQ?

The Punch Team

by The Punch Team

12 Aug 12:00pm

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Filed under: Food, Friday Dilemma, Manners, Meat

97 comments

BBQs are an excuse to feast on too much flesh. But sometimes, the carnivorous offerings at said gatherings are less than they might be.

Pleased to meet you, meat to please you.

There really is nothing worse than turning up at a barbie to find cardboard sausages from Woolies, boring old chops and no condiment other than tomato sauce.

This is not to subscribe to the growing cult of food wankerism. It’s just to say that a BBQ should be an excuse to blacken some quality meat cuts, rather than an event where the worst meat imaginable is cooked outdoors. There’s more to it than that.

So here’s the dilemma. We all know it’s impolite to rock up at a barbie without a bottle of wine or a six pack of something cold and fizzy.

But does the opposite apply with meat? If you bring, say, a dozen delectable souvlaki skewers from the local Greek butcher, are you effectively telling your hosts that they’re not good enough? That their meat is rubbish?

If you bring a bowl of marinated chilli sambal chicken wings, are you nothing more than a showy one-upster?

Or are you a caring friend performing the extremely noble duty of turning a casual social situation into a kick arse feast for one and all.

You tell us.

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97 comments

Show oldest | newest first

    • AliceC says:

      12:03pm | 12/08/11

      I say take what you want. If anything, that means the host can put some of their meat back in the fridge.

      The next question is, is it impolite to upgrade to whatever meat someone has brought to your BBQ (as the host I mean, not another guest)?

      Reply

    • meh says:

      04:21pm | 12/08/11

      Ettique between my friends is either bottle of wine or meat or salad to share.

      As the host it is impolite not to BBQ the meat others bring at the same time as yours. There is a fine balance where you have to put enough of your own meat on the BBQ, which gets a bit tricky for timing if you have 20 people bringing steaks.

    • TomZ says:

      11:14am | 13/08/11

      ON question 2, IMHO, marginally impolite. But it can be rescued with smooth diplomacy by the host. Really, the situation should not arise if communication before the BBQ is adequate. Eg, the host could say, “We have sausages for everyone, but feel free to bring your own concoction.” “Eg, My doctor says I should not eat pork.”, “I have an allergy”. etc.

      However diplomacy is usually inversely proportional to spontaneity of the night.

    • bella starkey says:

      12:03pm | 12/08/11

      I’ve been to heaps of BBQs where you are expected to bring your own meat and the host supplies salads and sides.

      I don’t like this at all. Everyone else always has way nicer stuff than me.

      Reply

    • Fiona says:

      08:07am | 13/08/11

      Haha, meat envy! Go to a butchers or some such first and get some nice gourmet type meat there. That way you will always look good.

    • DougB says:

      12:06pm | 12/08/11

      I consider it an act of politeness to take meat to a BBQ.  Most people I know, anyhow will say either “Bring your own meat” or “Just bring a salad or dessert!” This always allows you to take meat as well, just in case….
      Quite often new BBQ’ers understimate how much people will eat, and at the end of the day, the meat can always go in the freezer or fridge for the next day.
      More Food I say!

      Reply

    • Sceptic says:

      12:10pm | 12/08/11

      The dilemma is when you bring the good meat and the boss swaps his shitty meat and gives all of your good meat to HIS family.

      Reply

    • stephen says:

      09:40am | 13/08/11

      That’s what the Meat and Livestock Corporation have being doing to Oz for decades : sending the best cuts overseas.

    • LC says:

      12:10pm | 12/08/11

      Bringing something to a BBQ was the socially acceptable thing to do, and variety was the spice of life. There are people who love the plain old sausages (GIMME GIMME GIMME), patties and steaks, but there are also those who prefer the fancy marinated chicken wings (also GIMME GIMME GIMME) and stuff like that.

      I say bring whatever you want. You’d be more likely to be branded a wanker by showing up at a BBQ and not bringing anything.

      Reply

    • Go with the flow, or find friends who understand ' says:

      12:10pm | 12/08/11

      I wish this was a problem in our area!  We have gravitated to friends who (like us) provide a good spread - as the idea seems to be to ‘host’ people you invite.  (Call me old-fashioned, I know - I just assumed that is how entertaining is ‘done’)  However, when we first arrived here, we’d be invited over, and when you ask what you should bring, you’d be told ‘Oh just your meat…. and salads if you want them.  And I’m not sure if you drink wine or whatever - but bring whatever you’d like’  Huh??  Didn’t you just invite me over for a BBQ?  If I want to prepare and provide everything for my family - I CAN DO THAT AT HOME!!!  Silly me, even joked about bringing my own cutlery and crockery, but I was told (in all seriousness) ‘Of course not.  We’ll have all that organised’ - Oh great, thanks so much.  (Look for the irony!!!)  But apparently that is quite common here.  I found it quite off-putting but just went with the flow (for a while).  Although, I can’t really identify with your dilemma, but I wouldn’t take my own meat (unless asked to), as I think it could be interpreted as an insult to your host.  No matter how crappy the food provided is - it’s their idea of entertaining, so I guess you just have do the ‘When in Rome’ thing….

      Reply

    • gobsmack says:

      12:55pm | 12/08/11

      If in doubt, bring your own meat but leave it in the car until you’ve sussed out the situation.
      Sometimes the host has underestimated the catering and will be very grateful if you can magically produce those extra sausages.

    • dancan says:

      01:43pm | 12/08/11

      Don’t forget to leave it in an esky!

    • fairsfair says:

      01:56pm | 12/08/11

      @gobsmack - that brings a whole new meaning to hide the sausage…

    • Anubis says:

      02:26pm | 12/08/11

      @ fairsfair - are you implying that the phrase has an entirely different meaning ? shock

    • gobsmack says:

      03:21pm | 12/08/11

      The rudest thing you can do is to bring your own CDs to a party and insist on them being played.

    • Fiona says:

      08:16am | 13/08/11

      My husband tried to put on his iPod at a friends BBQ once, but he got told very quickly to cease and desist with it.

    • AdamC says:

      12:12pm | 12/08/11

      This is kinda lame, guys.

      Here’e the rule, if someone asks you to a meal or party at their home, you ask what you can bring. If they say to bring nothing, then you bring some wine or chocolates. If they say to bring nibblies or dessert or something, you bring that.

      You do not - repeat, not - bring meat to a BBQ. That is like bringing your own meal to a restaurant or own bottle of hooch to a cocktail bar. I mean, if your mate is such a bad host, make an excuse and don’t go!

      Reply

    • Rose says:

      01:04pm | 12/08/11

      I’m with you Adam, it is rude to bring your own meat to a BBQ unless that’s what is agreed. In our group of friends we have both types of barbies, the BYO everything dos and the catered for type, it depends on why we are getting together, i.e Birthdays etc are usually catered for but just getting together for the sake of it is usually BYO. The main rule of thumb is that you need to have the rules sorted before the event to avoid offending or being offended/embarrassed. If your host is a poor caterer just make sure you don’t go unless you’ve already eaten something or grab something on the way home, they are obviously important enough to you to make you want to go regardless of their culinary offerings.

    • Steve says:

      01:33pm | 12/08/11

      I can only understand bringing meat to a BBQ when a uni student says “having the boys over for a BBQ and watching the footy, bring you’re own meat”.

      Once you’ve got full-time jobs though, it’s just….. weird.

    • AdamC says:

      01:35pm | 12/08/11

      Rose, I must admit I’m not too experienced with a BYO meat BBQ. Your comment, and others here, suggest they are quite common. If that’s the arrangement, then it’s fine. The ‘dilemna’ seemed to suggest just sort of fronting up with some steaks or snags!

    • TomZ says:

      11:22am | 13/08/11

      @AdamC, a definitive resounding post. Every rule has an exception, that being where dietary foibles come into the equation.

    • Elphaba says:

      12:14pm | 12/08/11

      Every BBQ I’ve attended has been a ‘here is what’s on the menu, if you want something else, bring it along’.

      No one has ever been offended.

      My birthday is in a month.  I’m having a do at my place. I’ll be doing what I said above - providing some (nice) food, and asking attendees to bring anything specific that they want.

      Honestly, is it so hard for people to talk about these things?  No wonder we’re so fucked up.  How do you tackle the really important issues?

      Reply

    • Anubis says:

      01:05pm | 12/08/11

      @ Elphaba - I will earnestly keep watch on my mail box for the invitation Elph. I always come prepared to a BBQ, usually with decent cuts of dead cow and a bit of seafood (prawns or crab) to throw on the barbie. Always with more than what myself and direct kin can consume, knowing full well that someone else may like to try some. Not as a sleight to the host but as an addition to the menu.

      As for liquids there is usually a bottle or two from the cousins winery (preferably red) and always a six pack and a couple of bourbons. Dependent on the mood of the day.

      Whenever I have a BBQ at home I supply the basic snags, t-bones and slab and advise all invitees of this while at the same time suggesting that if they want more, or different, then they are welcome to bargain with their own butcher to acquire their preferred comestibles.

    • Knemon says:

      01:24pm | 12/08/11

      @ Elphaba - I look forward to the invite to your birthday do.

    • Elphaba says:

      01:57pm | 12/08/11

      @Anubis, I’m making dessert too.  Pavlova.  Very un-birthday, but it’s my party and I’ll meringue if I want to. wink

    • Anubis says:

      02:24pm | 12/08/11

      Elph - I am prepared to travel for a good home made Pav

    • Elphaba says:

      02:45pm | 12/08/11

      @Anubis, Nigella did a great pav that she topped with raspberry sauce and passionfruit.  I want to do that but I’m worried I’ll start a riot if there’s no kiwifruit.

      Kiwifruit is so boring.

    • Anubis says:

      03:08pm | 12/08/11

      Elph - I did find a good use for kiwi fruit - makes a great sauce with roast pork. You vitamise a few kiwi fruit with a couple of tablespoons of honey and use it as a “dipping” sauce. Works very well with pork.

      BTW: My son had his 11th birthday party two months ago and he insisted on a Pav as a birthday cake - no kiwi fruit but topped with strawberries, passionfruit and blackberries.

    • Anubis says:

      03:10pm | 12/08/11

      “Nigella did a great pav that ” - Nigella cooks does she - never noticed that but have always found her show entertaining. gulp

    • Elphaba says:

      03:23pm | 12/08/11

      @Anubis, I don’t like pork.  Just ask AdamC and TimB on my views of bacon, they had a conniption.  Hearts were broken. wink

      Your son has good taste.  Those berries sound delish.

      Nigella is my girl crush.  I don’t care how big her arse gets, I think she’s awesome.

    • Jane2 says:

      03:28pm | 12/08/11

      Same. In todays day and age when there are so many different diet specialities..glutten free, dairy free, meat free, spice free…well its less complicated and the idea of a BBQ is to minimise stress for all concerned.

      If you get offended by people bringing food its you who has the problem, you guest is being generous and you are being EXTREMELY rude if you and it back to them.

    • Kellie says:

      12:20pm | 12/08/11

      I go to a Melbourne Cup bbq every year at the same friend’s place, and we all bring our own meat. It is wonderful to see the array of things that people bring, some are home made marinaded kebabs, some are from a specialist butcher, and we are able to share recipes or butcher details. It is great. I think it is fine to rock up to a bbq with your own meat. I think it shows you are willing to help with the cost, as meat can be quite expensive.

      Reply

    • Jane says:

      01:55pm | 12/08/11

      I agree - and bringing enough meat to share means that everyone can have a bit of everything on offer.

      Among my friends we BYO meat and grog, and the host supplies soft drinks, salad and dessert. I reckon it’s a fair deal.

    • Mahhrat says:

      12:21pm | 12/08/11

      Christ on a bike, does everything have to be a frigging competition?

      Of all people, your mates are no the ones you should be playing Jones’ with. 

      My rule is simple - the host sets the rules.  Their house, their organisation, their utensils, their cooking, their cleaning, THEIR RULES.

      With me and mine, it’s usually “Bring what you want to cook”, and we’re careful to keep half the barbie meat-free for the vegetarians.

      This stuff is not difficult.  Give authority to the host to decide what they want to do, comply with that request and stop judging your mates for the quality of their frigging beef. 

      Wowee.

      P.S. Apologies if I’m going too far, but I don’t think I’m going to get my nice shiny new PC today after all and I’m grumpy.  SIYJ.

      Reply

    • Dr FOD says:

      03:53pm | 12/08/11

      Vegos cooking on a BBQ? Now that’s offensive!

      But really no one cares if you do or don’t bring food to a barbie, but try turning up to one with no grog!

    • Sam says:

      04:37pm | 12/08/11

      Have one friend where I HAVE to take meat, she literally has 1 cut up cheesy cransky for an entire party and the rest is rabbit food. Lovely person but have driven home via Macca’s on more than one occassion.

    • Alessio says:

      12:27pm | 12/08/11

      you have hit the spot! It is very awkward to turn up to a bbq and find meat that you would never eat, those prepacked sausages and cheap steaks that are always as hard as a shoe sole, however long you cook them for!
      Especially being Italian and a also a chef, I always ask myself what should I do in those situations…After a few years living in this country I have realized that there is not much to compromise: taking proper food and condiments for yourself only looks really rude. If the bbq is small and I know all the people there I often offer to buy and cook the “good stuff” for everybody. If at the bbq involves lots of peps I don’t personally know I just go with the flow, swallow the cardboard sausages from Woolies and allow a few more drinks to socialize rather than eat. That’s the Italo-Australian way, I guess!

      Reply

    • Kassandra says:

      12:29pm | 12/08/11

      Surely it’s just polite when getting the invite to ask, you know, like “Sure I/we’d love to come. What can I bring?” Easy.

      On the other hand, if you are the one hosting the BBQ it’s definitely not rude to take your own meat. smile

      Btw no chook body parts on barbies please.

      Reply

    • Redeker Plan says:

      12:36pm | 12/08/11

      Unless you’ve been to that specific host’s BBQs before and know that they serve up decent nosh, ALWAYS bring something of your own, even if it’s half a dozen decent sausages or a bit of steak.  There’s nothing worse then rocking up and finding only Safeway sausages (I don’t know what’s in them but they literally make me sick, every time) and some store-bought chicken skewers made out of dark gristly bits slathered in dodgy marinade.

      I don’t get why hosts serve up this crap?  I mean, if you’re going to throw a BBQ, why would you then be a tightarse about the food?  Either say “bring your own meat” which no one minds, or make a friggin effort.  It’s not hard, and it doesn’t have to be expensive or “gourmet wank” to be delicious.

      I love throwing a BBQ, but for budgetary reasons, what I serve depends on the size of the crowd.  If it’s a lot of people (say, more than 6) I make lots of different flavours of chicken skewers, made with tenderloins from Aldi.  Couple of kilos of good snags from my local butcher, grilled onions and mushrooms, a couple of different homemade salads, maybe some cous-cous on the side.  If it’s a small crowd, I’ll do skewers, and marinate some lamb backstraps in garlic and lemon, as well as the ubiquitous snags, etc.

      Unforseen disasters (weather, running out of gas) aside, I reckon it takes real effort to throw a crap BBQ.

      Reply

    • Tim says:

      12:45pm | 12/08/11

      Friday Dilemma?

      No, nothing to be seen here. Move along.

      Reply

    • CBR says:

      01:04pm | 12/08/11

      We would be offended if people asked to bring their own meat, largely because we only serve the good stuff and associate with people who are the same. We will even go out and buy a decent piece of fish for those who don’t eat meat.

      I’m more likely to take over the cooking of the steaks at someone else’s BBQ. There is nothing, I repeat nothing, worse than overcooked steak.

      Reply

    • adam says:

      01:25pm | 12/08/11

      taking over the cooking is a cardinal sin CBR. A fellas hotplate is his castle

    • Mahhrat says:

      01:47pm | 12/08/11

      @CBR, you tried that at my place you’d BE the bbq.  Thankfully, I don’t appear likely to be among “people you associate with.”

    • Chris_D says:

      01:52pm | 12/08/11

      @CBR; “I’m more likely to take over the cooking of the steaks at someone else’s BBQ.”  You have just broken the golden rule of the BBQ!  You never, ever take the tongs off the host unless asked to do so.

    • CBR says:

      02:13pm | 12/08/11

      Ah, the trick is to make them think it was their idea! One never asks to take over the BBQ. One puts oneself into a position where one is asked TO take over the tongs. It requires skill and precise manoeuvering, and is fraught with the danger of being chased around the BBQ with said tongs.

    • Tim says:

      03:08pm | 12/08/11

      I’m with CBR,
      you just have to make them think it’s their idea.
      Fill them with a few beers and then when they need to go to the toilet (and they will) offer to take over.

      Medium-Rare does not mean a blackened lump of ash.

    • Fiona says:

      08:25am | 13/08/11

      OMG CBR, being chased with said tongs. Hilarious.

    • Knemon says:

      01:06pm | 12/08/11

      Bring whatever meat (and grog) you want to my BBQ…just make sure you cook it yourself while I drink your booze!

      Reply

    • adam says:

      01:27pm | 12/08/11

      Knew a bloke once who, and this happened every time and everywhere, would rock up with home brew and drink other peoples store bought drinkies! Never batted an eyelid about it when questioned, figured there was nothing too wrong with it.
      People are no damned good

    • Knemon says:

      02:00pm | 12/08/11

      To be fair Adam….I’ve had many a home brew that were far superior to any mass produced generic beers. He would have been first on my invite list. Cheers.

    • adam says:

      02:18pm | 12/08/11

      not this blokes Knem, not this blokes

    • Tom of Brisbane says:

      01:09pm | 12/08/11

      I had some onion and tomato sausages from Woollies the other day, they were pretty good

      Reply

    • stephen says:

      09:44am | 13/08/11

      Their chorizo snags aren’t bad either, but every time I buy them the price has gone up.
      (There’s no inflation here, so does everyone in Wollies get a pay rise every 4 weeks ?)

    • SimonFromLakemba says:

      01:12pm | 12/08/11

      Only for ‘aussies’, go to an Arab BBQ, will be eating for days and dont have supply anything!

      Always a running joke between my friends and I.

      Reply

    • TheRealDave says:

      02:31pm | 12/08/11

      well…except during Ramadan…then you have to wait awhile before eating wink

    • Pete #205 says:

      03:21pm | 12/08/11

      Not Arab, but in the same vein… I still get friends mentioning how much they were force fed by my dad at my 21st.  That was over 10 years ago!

    • Nicole Miller - www.seeuinsydney.com says:

      01:23pm | 12/08/11

      We all need to talk to each other more!!! Lol. Maybe the Punch Team needs to put this to June Daly-Watkins for some etiquette advice.  Hilarious article to kick off the weekend BBQ’s (if the rain doesn’t wash them all out!).

      Reply

    • MarK says:

      01:39pm | 12/08/11

      You philistines eat meat?

      For shame.

      Us Lesbian Athesist Green Anarchsit Rebel Do-gooder Socialists only partake of lentils we grow at home.

      Get some real protein into you.

      Reply

    • Knemon says:

      02:04pm | 12/08/11

      LOL - Peace be with you MarK grin

    • libertarian vegetarian says:

      06:10pm | 12/08/11

      Now Now MarK, usually u and I are on the same page, so I’ll ask you not to pull the piss. Vegetarians are not always lesbian green anarchsit (whether accidental or on purpose it’s perfect) rebel do-gooder socialists. All the labor voters I know eat meat, meat and more meat. Maybe thats whats wrong with them, see it clearly doesn’t make you any smarter! Although I also know a lot of lefty vegos, so who knows. Libertarian vegetarians always bring their own food to a bbq, lest they go hungry and drink too much wine instead. Fun, but maybe not so much for fun for the mingy toothsucking teetotallers. I always bring heaps as it interesting how much of the vego food gets eaten, especially when there are safeway sausages on offer.

    • Chris_D says:

      01:43pm | 12/08/11

      You could just ask the host if it’s ok to bring something to add to the BBQ.

      What is offensive is taking over the tongs.  That is crossing a line that may well never get you invited back.

      Reply

    • ausspud says:

      01:54pm | 12/08/11

      You shouldnt bring your own meat unless told and dont forget ‘you cant win friends with salad, you cant win friends with salad’.

      Reply

    • redvixen says:

      02:50pm | 12/08/11

      Damn you ausspud, I’m going to have that in my head all afternoon now!

    • Joan says:

      01:54pm | 12/08/11

      Amongst friends its OK to bring your own meat- friends all ready accept you as you are - finicky weird,  Nudge, nudge wink, wink, `throw it on the barbie`- Yeaah I know, you like it done medium rare, just so`.  Strangers would spot you and register - up-tight weirdo- get a life - relax.

      Reply

    • fairsfair says:

      01:55pm | 12/08/11

      I don’t like people bringing things to my house. If I am having a small BBQ - I will supply everything, thats just how it is. I don’t like people feeling like they have to bring things and outlay money for something I am planning. I am the same with cleaning up. I never expect other people to wash up in my house and quite frankly, I’d prefer it if they didn’t. If it is well massive hoedown - yeah, maybe throw together a salad. But meat - no not really. I’ve got that covered because remember the bit where I said I was having a bbq? I am so over wowsery too - a bbq is meat on a hot plate. If some twit arrived at a get together with some peri peri guineafowl - get out of my house!!

      I really need to buy a bbq…

      Reply

    • Gladys says:

      02:09pm | 12/08/11

      Ooo. I’m the same about cleaning up too.

    • adam says:

      02:12pm | 12/08/11

      “I am so over wowsery too - a bbq is meat on a hot plate. If some twit arrived at a get together with some peri peri guineafowl - get out of my house!!”
      Fairs thats great, it’s how everyone should be. Think you’re a Masterchef? go audition but keep your wankery to yourself otherwise

      also peri peri goes better with Spatchcock

    • Alicia says:

      02:40pm | 12/08/11

      I agree with the cleaning up. My fiance used to try and get his nieces/nephews to do the dishes when they had a sleep-over but I’d let them off… not because I’m nice though. I just prefer to do it myself.

    • redvixen says:

      02:53pm | 12/08/11

      Me too!  I hate people sneaking into my kitchen to clean up.  But, after many years, I have grown able to not get grumpy about it because I know they think they’re helping.  It’s when you have to ring them when I can’t find something they’ve put away that’s the problem.

    • Fiona says:

      08:32am | 13/08/11

      I have absolutely no problem with people helping to clean up, may feel a bit of guilt, but I’ve learned to bravely push through that. My son is turning 21 and is having a BBQ for it. I’m already dreading the clean up. Who ever crashes the night will get roped in to it.

    • Mark says:

      01:59pm | 12/08/11

      When I was just out of uni and a graduate in the public service I lived in a group house. Being five young blokes we used to host a number of barbies which were self catered. One of our contempories always showed up with just a lettuce and tomato (his version of salad) and nothing else. I found it funny that he always left well fed and drunk.

      Reply

    • Whitehall (Maroon) $140 Monopoly says:

      02:30pm | 12/08/11

      Men usually bring their own meat to a barbecue for just reason..Its the meat the big meat eaters eat.
      The men want to just pursue the topless women, the bikini women and the nude women round and round the barbecue .
      The men usually leave their wives, their girlfriends, their children and other pests at home.
      If men are cooking on the barbecue, the women realisequickly that all meat will be burnt regardless of who brought the meat to the barbecue

      Reply

    • DougB says:

      03:04pm | 12/08/11

      What the hell sort of babecues are you having Whitehall?

    • Alicia says:

      02:47pm | 12/08/11

      I will always ask if we need to bring anything, and if they say no, I don’t take anything. When my fiance and I got engaged we made the decision to host the party ourselves, and we only asked a few people to make salads that were quite popular in the family. I continually told my mother-in-law not to bring anything other than what she was asked, as everything else was sorted.

      She ended up bringing loads of food - stuff we’d already organised and paid for. I know she was just trying to help but it was extremely frustrating. We really wanted to do this ourselves as we’d never fully hosted anything for our family and friends before. I mean, how hard is it to do what the hosts request?

      Just ask, and follow instructions! If you have to put up with sucky meat for one night, so be it. It’s one night, not a lifetime.

      Reply

    • Mahhrat says:

      03:00pm | 12/08/11

      @Alicia, I’ve had that happen to me to.

      Said family member was incredibly upset when I put the food she brought into the fridge, refused to get it out, and then gave it back to her when she was leaving.

      Learned, though.

    • redvixen says:

      02:57pm | 12/08/11

      I alway tell people not to bring anything, but I don’t care if they do.  Usually they’ll bring something that is their specialty.  Like my cousin’s pavlova - but now I just ask her to bring it because I know she will anyway.  “Well, if you’d like to make a pavlova that’d by great, but you don’t have to.”  For other people’s bbqs I always ask, and then do whatever the host says.

      Reply

    • Rick says:

      03:06pm | 12/08/11

      The growing cult of food wankerism your not wrong! What about a nice bit of rabbit on a spade or road kill chook? Those fancy shmancy marinated tit bits look nice but try cleaning the plate afterwards and guess who gets to clean the barbi.

      Reply

    • Pete #205 says:

      03:26pm | 12/08/11

      Whose tits are you marinating?!

    • fairsfair says:

      03:35pm | 12/08/11

      Too True.

      XXXX Gold tipped on the onions is as fancy as I get when cooking al fresco.

    • Anubis says:

      04:23pm | 12/08/11

      @ fairsfair - XXXX Gold - I suppose that’s one use for it, ‘cause it certainly isn’t made for drinking. raspberry

    • Illa Wong says:

      03:25pm | 12/08/11

      Your comment:Friday dilemma should be simple! Who brings the fish?

      Reply

    • Dick says:

      04:12pm | 12/08/11

      Try and put fish on my barby and you’ll be down the driveway before the dog’s finished with your fish

    • Gregg says:

      03:27pm | 12/08/11

      Get your own sausage or chicken out to lay it on the tyable and that might cause a hiccup, unless it was a Swingers United Satady arvo invite.

      Reply

    • El Grillo says:

      05:16pm | 12/08/11

      I always over-cater.. and people always bring stuff.

      I dont care. If they bring something I want, on the grill it goes.

      If my stuff is better, I put theirs in the freezer for cant-be-f*cked dinner during the week…

      Reply

    • Kricket says:

      06:32pm | 12/08/11

      Um no it’s not rude. On my fb profile one of my about me’s is “I’m the a$$hole who brings steak to a bbq when everyone else just brings sausages.”

      In my group of friends it’s BYO meat and booze, host will supply bread, salad, condiments, maybe a carton of beer.

      Reply

    • gravy says:

      06:52pm | 12/08/11

      Man if people get offended by guests bringing EXTRA meat to a BBQ then they seriously need to get a life!! MORE MORE MOOOOORE!

      Seriously tho different people like different things, and the beauty of BBQ’s is the variety and the fact that you can throw on whatever the hell you want! Anyone thats offended by that needs to harden up…

      Reply

    • Kate says:

      07:28pm | 12/08/11

      I don’t care if people bring their own food, but I’m a uni student so I could use the help with catering. I’ve got a few vegetarian friends as well, and our household is maximum carnivore so they always need to bring food if they come over.
      I also don’t mind if other people want to help out with cooking, but do NOT try and do the cleaning. That is just irritating.

      Reply

    • Daniel says:

      07:53pm | 12/08/11

      I take my own vegetarian sausages because if I don’t a vegetarian normally starves.

      Reply

    • stephen says:

      09:55am | 13/08/11

      Selling 6 bucks for 5 of em
      from good ol Sanitarium.
      I’ll stick ter me cheapies.
      (Meat, oxides, and ber-jeebies)

    • Sandgroper says:

      10:51pm | 12/08/11

      Excellent article.  Particularly if you need to eat low fat [ie no sausages], taking your own is almost essential

      Reply

    • carl palmer says:

      11:32pm | 12/08/11

      Oh dear, it took you four to write this?  You can’t be serious.

      Reply

    • stephen says:

      09:46am | 13/08/11

      Four went to the BBQ and Lucy couldn’t eat, (only protein for now) so she wrote it up.

    • Frank says:

      12:27pm | 13/08/11

      Well, to be francis, (which I’m not), to avoid any embarrassment,  I bring only a dozen boiled eggs, with accompanying toast soldiers, with of course, crusts cut off. These are more or less exclusively for the ladies. The gents usually don’t bother. Who could be offended I hear you say. But I do however, make a point of exhibiting my best effort,  that’s my home brew, which I consider equal to the top boutique beers. It’s not an idle boast. Several of my acquaintance beer drinkers, upon quaffing the first stein, have been so impressed they were unable to utter a word for a few minutes. As for the meat offering, I’ve always had animal tendencies, that is, caring for them from birth to heaven, and realistic enough to know in animal language, they would want to donate their remains for either science or human consumption. So it’s been my hobby to gather roadkill from highways, and prepare it for barbecues,  that is, hose off the gravel and tyre marks as much as possible, and always marinate in a dark sauce, (soy is good to prevent identification). Together with wild guava, I’ve hit on a fantastic, (in every sense of the word), kebab. They’re very popular, around 3.30am.

      Reply

    • Sharon says:

      09:33pm | 14/08/11

      Hey, why not bring your own animal then and slaughter it at the gathering so you can all know exactly what you poor creature you are eating and exactly how it was processed?

      Or are you selfish hypocrites who can’t stomach the barbaric truth and prefer others to do your dirty cruel work?

      Reply

    • xander says:

      10:34am | 29/08/11

      I bet you wear leather boots, belts and handbags.
      Most vegetarians do. happy to lkill for fashion but not food huh? mmm…

      So maybe keep your own judgemental hypocrisy in check yeah? Or maybe campaign against those cruel misaligned tigers killing innocent deer? omnivores are known as ‘natural’ and our monivorous behaviour is based on thousands of years of evolution, dont be naiive.

    • xander says:

      03:35pm | 26/08/11

      Rude NOT to!!! Beast slabs are bloody pricey. And I dont think people understand the term medium rare anymore to boot…

      Reply
 
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